Television off, Party On

“Hey, I’m going over to Cody’s house after school. Darren’s coming. You should too,” Tiff said, getting a book from her locker.

I leaned against the lockers. “I don’t know. I was going to-”

“You were going to film, edit, and post videos.” Tiffany interrupted. “You always do that. Come be social for once.”

“I don’t think they like me.”

Tiffany glared at me. “They like you, they just think you’re shy. Besides, Darren has a crush on you.”

“What?!” I spluttered.

“Cody and I saw Darren’s youtube account. He has all your videos favorited.

“Oh, you and Cody did that? I think you have a crush on Cody.” I teased.

“No I don’t!” Tiff protested, but her crimson cheeks gave her away.

We were almost to class before Tiffany remembered what our original subject was.

“So, are you coming or what?”

“Dammit,” I swore softly. “Fine, I’ll come.”

“Okay,” Tiffany said, beaming. “My dad’s taking us right from the school.

When we arrived at Cody’s house, Tiffany led me up to Cody’s room. He and Darren were already there, trying to shoot a Nerf ball through a hoop on his door.

“Hey, that one would’ve gone in!” Cody protested as Tiffany pushed open his door.

“No it wouldn’t have,” Tiffany said, sitting on his bed.

“Get out of my house, Cook,” Cody said, narrowing his eyes at her. He brightened once he saw me. “Oh, hey, you brought Burns!”

I smiled and waved slightly, “hi.”

Darren smiled in return. “Hey Rae.”

“What’s life like inside a computer?” Cody asked. “It seems like that’s the only place I see you.”

I laughed slightly. I felt out of place, awkward. “It’s good. A little cramped, but there’s always something to do.”

“Hey, do you ever let anyone else in your videos? Besides Tiff, I mean. ‘Cos my boy Darren and I are available for hire.”

I smirked. “We’ll see.”

“Cody, did you ever get Genesis?” Darren piped up.

“Oh my god, I didn’t show you? Yeah, I got it and the graphics are incredible!” He got on his computer, presumably to show Darren the game, and Tiffany walked over to look.

“This could take a while,” Darren said in a low voice, smiling slightly. “Cody, I’m going to eat your food now. Show Tiff the graphics. I’ll see them some other time.”

Cody grunted in response.

“Do you want to stay or come with me?” Darren asked me.

I looked at Tiff and Cody, absorbed in the computer game. “I’ll go with you.”

“Cody’s mom is a chef.” Darren explained, as we descended the stairs. “So there’s always awesome food in his kitchen. But she works during normal mealtimes, so she comes home, cooks for her family, and then puts it in the fridge.”

We got to the kitchen, and Darren opened the fridge. “What looks good? Or, what looks the best? Because it all looks good.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not really that hungry.”

Darren pulled a container out and opened the lid. “I think this is eggplant parmesan. You sure you don’t want anything?”

I shook my head.

He got out a plate and put some parmesan on it. “I’m not really supposed to microwave this. Mrs. Strakna says that microwaves are the devil and they suck the taste out of every bit of food. But Mr. Strakna won’t let her get rid of theirs.”

I laughed. “I suck at cooking. Everything I make is a frozen meal that I reheat in the microwave. A lot of the time, I eat at Tiffany’s. Her parents are way better cooks than mine.”

“I don’t think I’m that bad, but usually my parents cook for me. I can make a badass apple pie though.”

“I love apple pie!” I said, a smile brightening up my face.

The timer beeped and Darren took the parmesan out of the microwave. “Why don’t you ever talk to anyone besides Tiffany?” he asked, getting a fork out of the drawer.

“I talk to people,” I protested.

“Aside from the occasional insult, you only talk to Tiffany. I don’t understand. Tiffany is friends with other people. What do you do when she hangs out with them?”

“I make videos. I talk to my cousins. I play music.”

“You’re a musician?”

“Yeah, my dad played drums in a band. I have four uncles who play guitar, keyboard and bass. I’ve been singing before I could talk.”

He nodded. “That’s cool.”

Our conversation continued for a while. When Darren was nearly finished, he remembered a question he had asked me before and I had avoided.

“Wait, why don’t you talk to anyone at school? I don’t remember your answer.”

“I talk to Tiff,” I said, avoiding the question again.

“Besides Tiffany.”

“I’m a loner, an introvert. It’s hard for me to talk to new people.”

“You’re talking to me.”

“This is one on one. At school, everyone is in their own group.”

“People call you the Ice Queen, you know,” Darren said softly.

“What?!”

“You avoid people. You glare. You only talk to Tiffany as if she’s the only one worth your time.”

“Everyone judges me because of my mom and dad! They think I’m some rich, stuck-up slut!”

“Who thinks that?”

“Kayla does! Rochelle and her army of cheerleader skanks do! Ryan and the rest of the dumbass football team do! And they’re the only ones brave enough to verbalize it!”

“Maybe they just bully you because they perceive you as a loner, and therefore an easy target. Maybe you try to pretend it doesn’t hurt when it really does. Maybe they’ve hurt you so bad that now in every face you see a Kayla or a Rochelle or a Ryan.”

His wisdom was a cold gust of air that blew my hot fury out like the flame of a candle. But I refused to let him know how close he came to the truth.

“Or maybe, just maybe, I’m really just a loner. Maybe I have enough friends in Texas and I don’t want anymore. Maybe you’re full of bullshit and I’m sick of your wannabe psychology,” I said coldly.

I exited the kitchen and went upstairs to Cody’s room.

“Hey Tiff, I have to go, Aimee wants me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Rae,” she said, not even turning around.

Darren was coming up the stairs as I was going down. I pushed past him and made my way to the front door.

“Rae! Rae!” I heard him shout, trying to catch up with me. I walked faster, not wanting to talk to him.

I felt an arm on my hand and I pulled away. He didn’t let go. “Let. Go.” I said through gritted teeth.

“Listen, I’m sorry I said that stuff. It was completely uncalled for.”

“Yeah, it was.”

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Just leave me alone,” I said, finally pulling out of his grasp and storming away.

I went straight home and called Mollie. I told her exactly what had happened and I asked for her advice.

“I don’t know. It sounds like he’s an extrovert surrounded by extroverts and he doesn’t believe anyone can be an introvert. But Rae… you’re not an introvert.”

“What do you mean? Of course I am!”

She sighed audibly. “When we went to France last year for the EMA’s, you were the first person to make friends with kids off the street. I actually think Darren’s right in this situation.”

I began to protest but she cut me off.

“You called for my advice. Here it is. Forgive him. Sit with him tomorrow at lunch. Play nice. Give him and his friends a chance.”

“Fine, I’ll give them a chance. But if there’s one crack about my mom…I’m out of there.”

“That’s fine. No one’s expecting you to be a saint.”

“Thanks for the advice.”

“Any time.”

“See you soon!”

“Four weeks! Bye.”

The next day, before lunch, I suggested sitting with Darren and Cody. Tiff’s eyes got big and she smiled.

“Awesome!”

I was glad that we both packed our lunches today, as we walked together to Darren and Cody’s table. I don’t think I could talk to them both by myself.

“Hey guys, can we sit with you today?” Tiff asked.

“Sure!” Cody said, making room for her.

The only other empty seat was next to Darren. It was better than sitting between two strangers, but I would have liked to sit next to Tiffany.

“Hi Darren,” I said, sitting down.

“Oh, hey Rae,” he said, avoiding my eye.

I took a deep breath. I knew what I had to do. “I’m sorry I reacted like that yesterday. It was a bit over the top and melodramatic.”

He looked at me and smiled. “It’s okay. I forgive you. Forgive me for pushing you over the top?”

“Done,” I said, returning the smile.

“Let me introduce you to the group. There’s the twins, Lella and Lucy. There’s George, there’s Samantha, and there’s Matt. And of course, you already know Cody. Guys, this is Rae.”

They all nodded or waved or greeted me in some way and went back to their conversations.

“What are you having for lunch? Something frozen?” He joked.

“No, Chinese,” I said, pulling out the symbolic white box.

“I hate Chinese,” he said wrinkling his nose.

“You’re crazy.”

“Some say that, yes,” he said, making me laugh.

For the rest of the lunch, I only talked to Darren, and he only talked to me. I decided that it wasn’t so bad, sitting at his table.

At the end of the period, Cody said we were welcome to eat at that table any time we liked. Tiffany looked at me, obviously wanting to get my permission before she said that we’d be sitting there for the rest of the year. She wanted to, I could tell. I shrugged, a half smile on my face. She beamed at me. She so had a crush on Cody.